Font Size
1 Kings 15
Contemporary English Version
1 Kings 15
Contemporary English Version
King Abijam of Judah
(2 Chronicles 13.1-22)
15 Abijam became king of Judah in Jeroboam's eighteenth year as king of Israel, 2 and he ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
3 Abijam did not truly obey the Lord his God as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he was sinful just like his father Rehoboam. 4-5 (A) David had always obeyed the Lord's commands by doing right, except in the case of Uriah.[a] And since Abijam was David's great-grandson, the Lord kept Jerusalem safe and let Abijam have a son who would be the next king.
6-7 (B) The war that had broken out between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued during the time that Abijam was king.
Everything else Abijam did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 8 Abijam died and was buried in Jerusalem,[b] and his son Asa became king.
King Asa of Judah
(2 Chronicles 15.16—16.6,11-13)
9 Asa became king of Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's rule in Israel, 10 and he ruled 41 years from Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa obeyed the Lord, as David had done. 12 (C) He forced the prostitutes[c] at the shrines to leave the country, and he got rid of the idols his ancestors had made. 13 His own grandmother Maacah had made an idol of Asherah, and Asa took it and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother.[d]
14 As long as Asa lived, he was completely faithful to the Lord, even though he did not destroy the local shrines. 15 He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to the Lord.
16 Asa was always at war with King Baasha of Israel. 17 One time, Baasha invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, so he could put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.
18 When Asa heard about this, he took the silver and gold from his palace and from the Lord's temple. He gave it to some of his officials and sent them to Damascus with this message for King Benhadad[e] of Syria: 19 “Our fathers signed a peace treaty. Why don't we do the same thing? This silver and gold is a present for you. So, would you please break your treaty with Baasha and force him to leave my country?”
20 Benhadad did what Asa asked and sent the Syrian army into Israel. They captured the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel-Bethmaacah, and the territories of Chinneroth and Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard about it, he left Ramah and went back to Tirzah.
22 Asa ordered everyone in Judah to carry away the stones and wood Baasha had used to strengthen the town of Ramah. Then he used these same stones and wood to fortify the town of Geba in the territory of Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.
23 Everything else Asa did while he was king, including his victories and the towns he rebuilt, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. When he got older, he had a foot disease. 24 Asa died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors in Jerusalem.[f] His son Jehoshaphat then became king.
King Nadab of Israel
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Asa's second year as king of Judah, and he ruled two years. 26 Nadab disobeyed the Lord by following the evil example of his father, who had caused the Israelites to sin.
27-28 Baasha son of Ahijah was from the tribe of Issachar, and he made plans to kill Nadab. When Nadab and his army went to attack the town of Gibbethon in Philistia, Baasha killed Nadab there. So in the third year of Asa's rule, Baasha became king of Israel.
29 (D) The Lord's prophet Ahijah had earlier said, “Not one man or boy in Jeroboam's family will be left alive.” And, as soon as Baasha became king, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family, 30 because Jeroboam had made the Lord God of Israel angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.
31 Everything else Nadab did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.
32 King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were always at war.
King Baasha of Israel
33 Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel in Asa's third year as king of Judah, and he ruled 24 years from Tirzah. 34 Baasha also disobeyed the Lord by acting like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.
Footnotes
- 15.4,5 Uriah: A Hittite who served in David's army; David had him killed so he could marry his wife Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11.1-27).
- 15.8 Jerusalem: See the note at 2.10,11.
- 15.12 prostitutes: See the note at 14.24.
- 15.13 queen mother: Or “the mother of the king,” an important position in biblical times (see 2.19).
- 15.18 Benhadad: Hebrew “Benhadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion.”
- 15.24 Jerusalem: Hebrew “the city of David his ancestor.”
1 Kings 15
New International Version
1 Kings 15
New International Version
Abijah King of Judah(A)
15 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah[a] became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah(B) daughter of Abishalom.[b]
3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted(C) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp(D) in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep(E) any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah(F) the Hittite.
6 There was war(G) between Abijah[c] and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. 7 As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.
Asa King of Judah(H)(I)
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah(J) daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David(K) had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes(L) from the land and got rid of all the idols(M) his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakah(N) from her position as queen mother,(O) because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down(P) and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove(Q) the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed(R) to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.(S)
16 There was war(T) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah(U) to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple(V) and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent(W) them to Ben-Hadad(X) son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 “Let there be a treaty(Y) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered(Z) Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah(AA) and withdrew to Tirzah.(AB) 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah(AC) the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa(AD) built up Geba(AE) in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.(AF)
23 As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat(AG) his son succeeded him as king.
Nadab King of Israel
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evil(AH) in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father(AI) and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.
27 Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down(AJ) at Gibbethon,(AK) a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.
29 As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family.(AL) He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This happened because of the sins(AM) Jeroboam had committed and had caused(AN) Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.
31 As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals(AO) of the kings of Israel? 32 There was war(AP) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.
Baasha King of Israel
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah,(AQ) and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did evil(AR) in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 15:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Chron. 12:16); most Hebrew manuscripts Abijam; also in verses 7 and 8
- 1 Kings 15:2 A variant of Absalom; also in verse 10
- 1 Kings 15:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Abijam (that is, Abijah); most Hebrew manuscripts Rehoboam
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.